Shears for cutting patterns and the like



R. MAINHARDT ETAL 2,794,249

Filed Oct. 11, 1954 ORNEYS June 4, 1957 SHEARS FOR CUTTING PATTERNS ANDTHE LIKE SHEARS FOR CUTTING PATTERNS AND THE LIKE Robert Mainllardt andMary Janice Mainhardt, Diablo, Calif.

This invention relates to shears for cutting fabric, paper or the like,and is more particularly directed towards sears for cutting paperpatterns.

As is well known in the art, paper patterns to be used for fabriccut-outs are widely distributed and used, and by their use, the personusing the same may place the paper pattern on the fabric or material outof which the finished garment will be made and cut out the componentparts of such garment according to the paper pattern. In most instances,the paper patterns are provided with match-up notches of a generallyV-shaped configuration which must be cut as the pattern is being cut. Itwill be appreciated that conventional shears or scissors are efiicientin cutting a straight line or even arcuate lines where the radius ofcurvature is not too small, but inasmuch as the notches usually do nothave an over-all depth or width of more than one-half inch, the job ofcutting out such notches becomes tedious and time consuming.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a pairof shears which may be utilized for conventional cutting along straightor arcuate lines, in which means are incorporated for selectivelypermitting such shears to rapidly and conveniently cut the notches ofV-shaped configuration provided in paper patterns or the like.

Another object of our invention is to provide a device of the characterdescribed in which the notching portion thereof may be selectivelyplaced in and out of operative position.

A further object of our invention is to provide shears of the typereferred to in which the major portionof the blade may be ofconventional beveled shape or shaped to provide a pinking action withoutin any way detracting from the operation of the notching elementthereof.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a combinationshear and notching arrangement which is simple in construction and whichmay "be produced at a cost just slightly higher than is required formore conventional though less efficient shears or scissors.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some ofwhich, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the followingdescription of the preferred form of the invention which is illustratedin the drawing accompanying and forming part of the specification. It isto be understood, however, that variations in the showing made by thesaid drawing and description may be adopted within the scope of theinvention as set forth in the claims.

Referring to said drawing:

Figure l is a plan view of a pair of shears of the instant invention.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially in the planeindicated by line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the mechanism for placing the notchingelement in operative position.

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view similar to Figure 2 States Patentbest seen in Figure 2 of the drawing.

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but showing the position of the parts when the shears may be utilizedfor notching.

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 1 and illustrates a modified formof combination cutting and notching shears.

Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially in the planeindicated by line 77 of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view similar to Figure 2, but illustratinga further modification of our invention.

The shears of the present invention, in their simplest form, are bestillustrated in the modification shown in Figures 6 and 7 of the drawing,and reference Will therefore first be made to this arrangement. As seentherein, a pair of shears is provided with cooperating blades 12 and 13having manually engageable handle portions 14 and 16 respectively at theends thereof. The blades are pivotally secured together in aconventional manner as by a spring-loaded screw 17 threadedly engageablein a tapped 'bore of a pin 20 so as to permit the blades to bealternately opened and closed upon reciprocation of the handles. Thislatter detail of the pivotal connection is It will be understood thatthe foregoing represent conventional shear construction.

In accordance with the previously discussed objects and features of thisinvention, means are provided on the blades so as to permit them toreadily cut a V-shaped notch extending generally normalto the line ofcutting without directing the blades along the sides of such a notch.Such means include a solid projection 18 on one of the blades, theprojection being of V-shaped crosssectional form and extending from theinner edge 19 of the blade to approximately the medial portion of thewidth of the blade, and preferably lies along an arcuate path with itscenter of curvature being positioned at the pivot 17. A complementaryV-shaped hollow projection 21 is positioned along a similar arcuate pathon the other of the blades and is arranged to receive projection 18 whenthe blades are brought into closed relationship and effect a V-shapedcut extending normal to the general line of cutting made by theconventional action of the shear blades.

As a matter of convenience, the projections 18 and 21 are positionedrelatively close to the pivot 17, preferably in the neighborhood ofone-fourth the blade length, so that while the shears are being used intheir normal manner, i. e., for cutting straight or curved sections of apattern, the cutting may be done forwardly of the projections along themajor length of the blades without interference from the projections.However, when the notches are to be cut, theshears may be advanced untilthe operator sighting along one of the projections aligns the notch withthe projections and moves the handles together.

From the foregoing description, it will be appreciated how the singlepair of shears may be utilized to effect standard cutting as well asmatch-up notch cutting. However, we recognize that with the arrangementshown in Figures 6 and 7, an operator, intending to make standard cuts,might unintentionally open the blades too wide and result in the cuttingof the notches.

In order to overcome the foregoing, the shears are preferablyconstructed as illustrated in Figures 1 through 5 of the drawing. Inthis embodiment, the blades, projections, and pivot are similar to thatjust discussed. However, additional means are incorporated so as toprevent the blades from opening sufficiently to permit the projectionsto be effective until the operator desires such action. In other words,during normal usage, the blades will open no further than shown inFigure 1 so that their forward conventional cutting or shearing surfaceswill be in operative position. When it is desired to cut a notch,

suitable mechanism is actuated to permit a greater opening of the bladesand separation of the complementary projections 13 and 21 so that thelatter may be utilized.

As best seen in Figures 2, 3 and 4, the pivot member 17 extend throughthickened shank portions 26 and 27 of blades 12 and 13, and positionedrearwardly of the pivot is a lock mechanism which selectively permits alimited or full opening of the blades. Shank portion 27 is provided fromits outer surface 28 with a bore 29 which communicates with an enlargedcounterbore 31, the latter extending in an arcuate path from pivot 17,as best seen in Figure 3. Shank portion 26 is provided from itsinnermost surface 32 with a bore 33 which terminates in a diametricallyreduced bore portion 34 inwardly of the outer surface 36 of the shank.Bore 33 has a diameter substantailly equal to the width of the arcuatecounterbore or passage 31, and as the shear blades are opened andclosed, bore 33 would be aligned with passage 31 at various latter.

The lock mechanism now to be described operates in conjunction with thebores and passages just discussed. Disposed within bore 33 is a pin 41having a radially enlarged collar 42 secured thereto intermediate theends thereof. The collar, and consequently the pin, is normally urgedtowards shank 27 by means of a spring 43. The distal end of pin 41engages one surface of a lug 44 positions along the length of the seatedin counterbore 31, the lug having a contour corcounterbore and movablein The other surface of the lug bears against a shoulder at the junctureof the bore 29 and counterbore 31 to limit the outward movement thereof.A shank 46 is attached to the lug, said shank being provided with amanually engageable push button 47 at its end.

From the foregoing description it will be understood that in normalposition of the parts, spring 43 will force collar 42 into the passage31 and prevent opening or separation of the blades 12 and 13 to aposition where the projections would be separated and permit them toperform their notching operation. Thus, with the parts positioned asillustrated in Figures 2 and 3, the shears may be used in theirconventional manner to effect substantially linear cutting. Furtheropening of the blades is prevented by virtue of collar 42 extending intopassage 31.

When it is desired to use the projections for their notching function,it is only necessary for the operator to depress button 47, urging thepin and collar against spring pressure until the collar clears thepassage and is positioned entirely within its bore 33. Under suchcircumstances, the parts will assume the position illustrated in Figure5 of the drawing, and the blades 12 and 13 may then be further openeduntil the projections are in spaced-apart relation. The shears may thenbe utilized for cutting the V-shaped notches as hereinabove described.While the blades are in their full-open position, collar 42 will ride onthe inner surface of shank portion 27, and as the blades are closed, thecollar will again be forced into the arcuate passage 31 preventingsubsequent full opening of the blades until the button i again actuated.Thus, each time a notch is to be cut, the button 47 will be depressed,and as the parts automatically return to their locked position, therewill be no danger of cutting additional notches When the operatorintends to make more convetnional linear cuts.

In Figure 8, a slightly modified form of lock actuating means aredisclosed for urging the pin and collar into their released position. Asillustrated, the outer surface of shank 46 is engaged by a cam 52 ofvarying thickness. The cam is pivotally secured to blade portion 27 andis actuated by a lever 53 which may be conveniently engaged by theoperator while still maintaining a grip on the handles. As the lever ismoved, a thicker portion of they cam will force shank 46 andconsequently collar 42 responding to that of the the latter.

inwardly, releasing the latter from passage 31 in the same manner asactuation of push button 47.

It will be understood, however, that the release and automatic resettingof the parts will be the same. It will also be understood that while theinvention has been disclosed and described in connection with V-shapedprojections for cutting match-up notches, the projections could assumeother complementary configurations for cutting other shapes withoutdeparting from the spirit of our invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A pair of shears comprising a pair of blades, means pivotallysecuring said blades together for relative movement from and towardseach other for cutting material placed therebetween, cooperatingprojections on said blades for effecting cutting in a directiongenerally normal to the line of cut made by said blades, saidprojections being positioned on said blades adjacent said pivotalsecuring means, and means for releasably limiting pivotal movement ofsaid blades whereby said projections will be inoperable while saidblades may still be moved to cut material placed therebetween.

2. Shears for cutting fabric and the like comprising a pair of blades,means pivotally securing said blades together for movement from andtowards each other, cooperating cutting projections on the confrontingsurfaces of said blades positioned adjacent said means, means forlimiting the pivotal movement of said blades from each other wherebysaid projections will remain in interengaged position while distalportions of said blades may be opened and closed relative to each other,and means for releasing said last named means to permit further openingof said blades and separation of said projections.

3. A device as set forth in claim 2 in which said pro jections each havea generally V-shaped cross-sectional configuration and traverse saidblades along an arcuate path having a center of curvature substantiallyat said pivotal securing means.

4. Shears comprising a pair of longitudinally extending blades, meanspivotally securing said blades together adjacent the ends thereof, saidblades being movable from an open position to an overlapped closedposition, a pair of cooperating cutting projections on the confrontingsurfaces of said blades positioned adjacent said securing means, saidblades being provided with overlapping handle portions extending on theother side of said securing means from the blades, means in one of saidportions normally engageable with the other of said portions forrestricting the opening of said blades whereby said projections willremain in adjacent relationship, and means for releasing said last namedmeans so as to permit full opening of said blades and separation of saidprojections.

5. A device as set forth in claim 4 in which said means in one of saidportions includes a spring-loaded member normally urged into engagementin a recess formed in v the other of said portions.

6. Shears comprising a pair of longitudinally extending blades, meanspivotally securing said blades together adjacent the ends thereof, saidblades being provided with overlapping handle portions extending on theother side of said securing means from the blades, cooperating cuttingprojections on the confronting surfaces of said blades, one of saidhandle portions being provided with a bore extending from the innersurface thereof, an element axially slidable in said bore, the other ofsaid handle portions having a recess therein, means normally urging saidelement into said recess for limiting the opening of said blades, andmanually engageable means for moving said element out of said recess forpermitting further opening of said blades.

7. A device as set forth in claim 6 in which said recess extends in anarcuate path having a center of curvature at said pivot means, and saidmanually engageable means includes an arcuate lug of substantially thesame shape as said recess and movable therein, and a member attachedthereto extending past the outer surface of said other handle portion.

8. A device as set forth in claim 6 in which said manually engageablemeans includes a cam on one of said handle portions, a manuallyengageable operating lever on said cam, and said cam being operativelyconnected to said element for moving the latter out of said recess iiponmovement of the cam.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

